Patent GB-491718-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1937-03-04
Abstract: 491,718. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. March 4, 1937, No. 6478. Convention date, March 5, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] A record-card controlled statistical machine comprises automatic group control mechanism, a control device (72, 72a, 72b) which normally permits totalprinting (contacts 72a closed) and which is rendered operative (contacts 72a opened) by a special card to suppress totalprinting in the next totalprinting cycle, and restoring means (contacts P15 opened) which render the control device inoperative (i.e. total-printing again permitted) during each total-printing cycle. These restoring means act irrespective of whether total-printing has been allowed or suppressed. Normally with contacts 72a closed, a magnet 58 is energized at a group change to close contacts 58b and connect emitter E and reading-out commutator 53 to the printing magnets 60 so that totals are printed. Assuming that " due " cards are punched with the amounts due and the designations of the debtors, and that when the amount is paid a " paid " card is punched with the amount paid and the debtors designation, then when the cards are sorted into groups according to the debtors' designations, some groups will contain a " paid" card, It is desired to print totals for unpaid groups and to suppress total-printing, but not total-printing cycles, for each group containing a " paid " card. In Fig. 3, the first and lowest card belongs to group " 6," the second to fourth cards to group " 4," and the top card to group '' 2." The middle card of group " 4 " is a " paid " card and is punched with a special " X " hole in a column other than the group control column. The lower brush LB, Fig. 1, which reads this column is connected by wire 80 and socket 81 to the control relay 72 and to cam contacts L32 which only close for the " X " point in the cycle. Normally, during tabulating, a motor control relay 23 is maintained energized, but is de-energized as soon as a change of group is detected. Switches 48 and 82 are closed. A circuit 20, 21a, 21, 22, 24a, 23, 24, 25, L10, 48, UCLe, 26, 27, 28 energizes relay 23, which latter's contacts 23a then energize a tabulating clutch magnet 30 and a relay 31, the contacts 31a of which energize the tabulating motor TM. While cards of the same group are passing the upper and lower brushes UB and LB, the coil 40 of group control relay R is energized to close contacts Ra and Rb to maintain the relay 23 and motor TM energized. Several relays R may be used. Appropriate brushes LB being plug-connected to sockets 50, Fig. 1a, adding circuits are formed to energize counter magnets 52 and print magnets 60. If item-printing is not desired, as in the present case, switch 54 is closed and a magnet 58 is energized over contacts 55a to open the contacts 58a and break the circuits to the print magnets 60. Contacts 55a are closed by a relay 55 which is energized over a circuit 28, Fig. 1, P9, 56a (normally closed), 23c (now closed by motor relay 23), 55, 20. When the card group changes, the motor relay 23 is de-energized as soon as cam contacts L9 open, since a shunt path normally formed for this relay is opened at contacts Rb. The contacts 23b of relay 23 close to energize a relay 56 which initiates totaltaking. At the end of this cycle, cam contacts L4 close to energize a reset clutch magnet 64 and the reset motor RM. Since the motor relay 23 is now de-energized and its contacts 23c are open, relay 55 is de-energized, its contacts 55a open and 55b closed and the magnet 58 is energized, Fig. la, over a circuit 20, P6, switch S, 68, 55b, 58, 28. Contacts 58b are thereby closed to connect the print magnets 60 to the reading- out commutators 53 and an emitter E, the brush arm 70 of which is rotated by the reset motor in synchronism with the movement of the type bars so that total-printing is effected over circuit 20, 60, 58b, 53, E, 72a, 73, 74 and 28. A magnet 65, Fig. 1, energized in series with the motor RM, now effects resetting of the counters. If contacts 72a are opened by a " paid " card causing energization of control relay 72, as below, total-printing is suppressed, but the resetting occurs. Since listing is also suppressed, no records are made of card groups containing a " paid " card. Suppression of total-printing. When the lower brush LB reserved for the purpose, reads the " X " hole of a " paid " card, a circuit 28, Fig. 1, LCL<1>, 44, LB, 80, 81, L32, 72, P15, 82, 20 causes the control relay 72 to open the contacts 72a and prevent closure of the abovedescribed total-printing circuit through parts 60, 53, E. Contacts 72b are also closed by relay 72 to short-circuit the contacts L32 and the lower-brush part of the circuit. Relay 72 is thus kept energized until contacts P15 open shortly after the printing portion of the totalprint and reset cycle. The position of the " paid " card in the group is immaterial since contacts P15 are normally closed and the cam is only rotated during total-printing and reset cycles. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the use of the machine in two other instances, viz. : (1) the cards are grouped, the leading card in each group having the " X " hole in a selected card column and being punched with a major, but not a minor, group designation. The following detail cards are punched for minor groups only ; (2) minor group total-taking and resetting is suppressed until a change is made to a selected group, i.e. the cards are grouped in months and semiannual totals only are required. For this, the control hole which permits total-printing is the " 7 " month hole in the seventh monthly group and this hole when read, coacts with special magnets 126, 122, Fig. 1. This subjectmatter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.